"We aren't stick thin. We have curves—either ass or boobs!" So says Amber Brovelli, creator and owner of the Vegas Pin-Ups dance troupe. And while there certainly isn't a shortage of ass or boobs in Vegas, there is a prevailing notion that dancers—especially in nightclubs—should fit the measurements that grace today's magazines, movies and music videos. But at less than 5 feet 10 inches each, the Pin-Ups are not afraid to expose the secrets of their success, or to show Vegas a thing or two about professional dance troupes.
Amber began her intense study of gymnastics and dance at the age of 2 in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Growing up, she cleaned the dance studio to pay for classes. At 13, she began teaching—18-year-olds. Following an early high school graduation, 16-year-old Amber attended college and studied dance at Los Angeles studios the Edge and the Millennium. After teaching again for more than a year in Laguna, Amber—now in her early twenties—moved to Vegas and took a job in the offices of Ice, where she's been ever since. Amber met dancer Kathleen Von while on the Las Vegas Gladiator's dance team, and befriended Naomi Jane when all three were Beacher's Babes, dancing at Jeff Beacher's Madhouse at the Hard Rock. (Kathleen Von and Naomi Jane are the girls' stage names which they prefer on going by.) But like Amber, they yearned to be a part of a professional dance troupe.
Amber took Kathleen and Naomi and cast five other women, established a rigorous rehearsal schedule, and booked the newly-formed troupe for a New Year's Eve debut just two months ago. Next stop: taking the Pin-Ups international (There are offers already on the table).
But don't make the mistake of confusing these ladies with the Pussycat Dolls. "They're beautiful and talented; we're just different," says Amber of Robin Antin's famed Hollywood burlesque troupe. Naomi adds, "And none of us can sing." Kathleen chuckles, "Speak for yourself. The shower loves me!"
Kathleen might be speaking the truth. The three of them are roommates now, and neither Amber nor Naomi contradict her.
"We can correct each other without there being any bad feelings," says Amber, who leads by example, dancing right alongside her company. And the greatest compliment she receives is when women tell her how much they've enjoyed the performance. "When they see a dancer doing her craft, they're impressed."
Soon, everyone will be able to pin up a Pin-Up. They've just completed a calendar shoot and the finished product will be available online, at the venues where they appear, and at Harley-Davidson stores.
In the meantime, Amber, Kathleen, Naomi and the rest of the troupe are living their dreams in a city where the statement "I'm a dancer" sometimes requires further explanation.